Wednesday, April 06, 2016

School Sex Books Mandatory: Virginia Governor Veto

Representatives of the citizens of Virginia overwhelmingly passed legislation to require schools to inform parents of sexually explicit book assignments in order to allow parents to "opt out" their children, but the governor vetoed the bill this week saying that the state Board of Education, which is eternally controlled by liberals, might someday enact something similar on its own initiative.

[Besides,] "this legislation lacks flexibility and would require the label of 'sexually explicit' to apply to an artistic work based on a single scene, without further context."-- Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), Virginia

The measure, which is backed by GOP House Speaker William Howell, was brought to the General Assembly by a Fairfax County mother [Laura Murphy] who protested the use of Toni Morrison's 'Beloved' in her son's high school senior class. The 1987 novel set in the post-Civil War era includes scenes depicting sex, rape and bestiality.

The bill initially flew through the GOP-controlled House with unanimous support [including from all of the Democrats]. But outcry from Democrats and free-speech groups grew as the bill received more attention. The 22-17 vote in the Senate means there's likely not enough support to override the governor's veto in that chamber.

The bill would direct the state Board of Education to create a policy on sexually explicit books for elementary and secondary schools. Under the policy, schools would be required to provide an alternative to the sexually explicit book if a parent objects.

“School boards are best positioned to ensure that our students are exposed to those appropriate literary and artistic works that will expand students’ horizons and enrich their learning experiences,” [Gov. McAuliffe] said in the veto message.

Del. R. Steven Landes (R- Augusta), chairman of the House Education Committee, sponsored the bill at the request of House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford), making it a top priority for the overwhelmingly Republican House.

Landes called the veto “disappointing” and said he would introduce the legislation again next year if the state doesn’t change the regulations.

The National Council of Teachers of English and the National Coalition Against Censorship opposed the bill; the conservative Family Foundation of Virginia favored it.

“Parents make decisions every day about what video games kids play, what movies they watch and what material they consume online,” [Del.] Landes said in a statement. “They should have the same opportunity within the classroom.”

Landes said Virginia already has similar policies for sexual education and science curriculum. He said he brought the legislation because the Board of Education has “put this issue off for several years” and said he would reintroduce the bill again next year if regulatory changes are not implemented.

“It is remarkable that the governor has so little respect for parents who simply want to know and be free to make decisions about what their kids are being taught,” said Victoria Cobb, president of the Family Foundation of Virginia.

“Parents are not the enemy of education, they are the driving force behind their children learning and succeeding,” she added. “If schools and teachers have nothing to hide, there should have been no opposition to this common sense transparency measure.”